Experience of Glucose Monitors Research

[R Williams]

Hi! My name is Ryan Williams. I'm a masters student at Bournemouth University doing a study on the experience of wearable glucose monitors (including CGM and flash monitor such as Libre) for people with type 1 diabetes, with the aim being to create a set of requirements for the design of a more positive emotional experience of diabetes management.

If you are between the ages of 18-30 and have used/still use a CGM or Flash glucose monitor, and would like to take part in an interview then please contact me. More information on the study can be found in the linked document below.

this has been approved by @Josh DUK

 

[trophywench]

Well - I agree it's a very emotional subject. But in my view the reason why there has been such (apparently) low take up is much more likely because they are so horrendously difficult to get hold of rather than anything else whatsoever. Give me half a chance and I'd most likely bite your hand off thanks - whereas it's always been an Absolutely Not.

 

[R Williams]

Well - I agree it's a very emotional subject. But in my view the reason why there has been such (apparently) low take up is much more likely because they are so horrendously difficult to get hold of rather than anything else whatsoever. Give me half a chance and I'd most likely bite your hand off thanks - whereas it's always been an Absolutely Not.

Hi! Thank you for your response. So the study aims to capture the reasons that would contribute to a positive emotional experience and so anyone having a purely positive experience of CGM or flash monitors is also useful for this study, not just those with negative experience as, like you have said, many love their monitors or would love to get one.

 

[Robin]

You and I are way too old for this study, anyway, @trophywench . Why the narrow age band, if I may ask?

 

[R Williams]

You and I are way too old for this study, anyway, @trophywench . Why the narrow age band, if I may ask?

Hi, the study focuses on those aged 18-30 as this is the group with the highest prevalence of type 1 diabetes in a recent survey in the UK. As this study is part of a research project for a masters degree, there is limited time and so we are forced to keep the sample quite narrow in order to manage the data effectively. I hope that explains why? 🙂

 

[Lucyr]

You and I are way too old for this study, anyway, @trophywench . Why the narrow age band, if I may ask?

You’d have to stratify the responses by age if you accepted any ages, because there will be a correlation between your age and your opinions on wearable technology, so would make the study more complicated / take longer to collect the data.

 

[Bruce Stephens]

You’d have to stratify the responses by age if you accepted any ages, because there will be a correlation between your age and your opinions on wearable technology, so would make the study more complicated / take longer to collect the data.

Which might be interesting in itself but is perhaps a different study.

 

[Hepato-pancreato]

Not a very woke study. Ha! Ha! Whats up with us oldies being excluded from the classroom.

 

[R Williams]

This study is for a masters degree and so with limited time, we are forced to only study a small sample of people so that we can manage the data effectively and ensure there is no bias in the collection of data. As there is a correlation between age and acceptance of assistive technology, shown in multiple other studies, this research can only collect data from one age group. The age range determined by this study was chosen based on recent surveys in the UK showing the highest prevalence of type 1 diabetes was in those ages 18-30.

 

[helli]

The age range determined by this study was chosen based on recent surveys in the UK showing the highest prevalence of type 1 diabetes was in those ages 18-30.

I completely understand the need to limit the sample for your research.
I am surprised that there is higher prevalence of Type 1 in this younger age group - there is no cure for Type 1 and death due to Type 1 is rare nowadays so there are many of us who were diagnosed in the younger age group but are still alive and kicking with Type 1 who are older.
I wonder if this prevalence is in age of diagnosis rather than age with Type 1.
I am not suggesting your age range is the wrong one to focus on but maybe check your justification?

 

[R Williams]

I completely understand the need to limit the sample for your research.
I am surprised that there is higher prevalence of Type 1 in this younger age group - there is no cure for Type 1 and death due to Type 1 is rare nowadays so there are many of us who were diagnosed in the younger age group but are still alive and kicking with Type 1 who are older.
I wonder if this prevalence is in age of diagnosis rather than age with Type 1.
I am not suggesting your age range is the wrong one to focus on but maybe check your justification?

Hi, so for those interested, the survey mentioned is "A retrospective epidemiological study of type 1 diabetes mellitus in Wales, UK between 2008 and 2018" - Rafferty et al. 2021. I too was surprised by the data from this study as i would have assumed the same as you. However, this study showed an overall higher incidence (diagnoses of T1 diabetes) in those aged 0-14. It also showed a higher prevalence (overall population of people with T1 diabetes) in people aged 15-29. I'm not sure the reason for this higher prevalence but that goes beyond my field of study.

 

[Lucyr]

I'm not sure the reason for this higher prevalence but that goes beyond my field of study.

I think there’s more recognition of T1 in this age group, people diagnosed at older ages are more likely to be misdiagnosed as T2 than people who have diabetes and are under 30?

 

[Bruce Stephens]

I think there’s more recognition of T1 in this age group, people diagnosed at older ages are more likely to be misdiagnosed as T2 than people who have diabetes and are under 30?

I'm sure that's true, but I'm also sure there's a real age effect. The stereotypical diagnosis of a child (rapidly losing weight and ending up in A&E in DKA) isn't something you could miss in an adult, so presumably it just happens less often.

 

[trophywench]

So if you were carrying out this study in Spain, using whatever logic seems to inform the choice I spose you'd use the diagnosis data from either Gibraltar or Andorra then to inform you.

I entirely concur with @helli's last sentence and have to say I'm very disappointed if that is how universities encourage students to conduct research now.

 

[R Williams]

So if you were carrying out this study in Spain, using whatever logic seems to inform the choice I spose you'd use the diagnosis data from either Gibraltar or Andorra then to inform you.

I entirely concur with @helli's last sentence and have to say I'm very disappointed if that is how universities encourage students to conduct research now.

As Wales is a part of the UK, it is a suitable survey for this study, however extensive research has also been conducted on this source and the data collected in the study by Rafferty et al. 2021 is reflected in the data collected for other regions in the UK including England.